Aeroplane



May 2, 1933. D. a VAN vA c To 7 1,907,394

- AEROPLANE iled Dec. 11; 1930 4-$heets -Sheet 2 flit/enter 1 May 2, 1933. b. E. VAN" vAcToR AEROPLANE Filed Dec. 11, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 2, 193".

D. E. VAN VACTOR AEROPLANE Filed Dec.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 the drawings and .described Patented May 2, 1933 uNrrEo stares PATENT orator.

DAVID E. van vacroa, or nvansrow, rumors AEROPLANE 1 Application filed December 11, 1930. Serial No. 501,576.

The objects of my invention are, first,to provide means for vertical and horizontal ascension and landing; second, to rovicle a system of propulsion of uniform e ciency at all speeds of the craft; third, the application of the aggregate power of multiple prime movers to a single effective system of propulsion with a minimum of friction; fourth, to gain higher speed, and greater safety inv aerial transportation; fifth, to provide a. means for compressing air to the reposition for landing, and collapsed on the other side to illustrate its position for flight, on the line 1 1, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a'plan view with the aerofoil and guys removed, with a fragment of the landing sail extended to illustrate its position for landing; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view of details, showing one side of which the other is the counter part, on the line 3 3, Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the driving mechanism, and of the fuselage, on the line 4 4, Fig.3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a front and rear propeller blade and an intermediate stationary helical blade elongated and containing an air inlet and conduit, on the line 5 5, Fig. 3; Fig.6 is a sectional view of a front and a rear ropeller blade and a helical blade whic is -merged at its trailing edge into a stabilizing web but not showingFthe air inlet and conduit, on the line 6 6, ig. 1; Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the periphery of the two series of propeller blades and of the series of helical blades, represented upon a plane surface, to illustrate means for producing a frequency of vibration in the air above the upper limit of audibilityf Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing a mufiied and forced exhaust system, on the line 8 8, Figs. 1

and 3; Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a blower blade, on the line 9 9, Fig. 3; Fig. 10 is a sectional view of an intermediate helicalblade unmodified; Fig. 11 is an elevation with parts cut away, showing the usual landing equipment. The fuselage 1, and the standards 2, constit-ute the crafts principal parts in the framework. To them are interbuilt the inclosing shell 3, the cylindrical encasement 4, the shaft 5, the guys 6, the helical blades 7, and the stabilizing webs 8, making the gentached the landing sail 47, and the means for eral structure of the craft to which are at-.

operating it. To this general structure are attached the aerofoil 9, (or aerofoils in biplanes), ailerons 10, the rudder 11, the elevators 12, and the usual means for their op eration, not shown, and the landing equipment in the case of horizontal rising and landing craft, all of which elements of con trol and sustentation may be constructed and operated in any preferred way known to the art. The fuselage 1, taken inconjunction with other parts of the machine is streamlined in outward contour, and divided and arranged for the convenience of the operator and for the accommodation of any loadthe machine may be designed to carry. A bulkhead 13, is constructed across the rear portion of the fuselage 1, which serves as a floor when the machine is in a vertical position. Entranceis made to this floor or bulk head 13, through a door 14, in the'shell 3, (shown by dotted lines), and a door 14, in the fuselage 1, into the operatorsroom 15, see Fig. 1. The operators seat 16, is reached by a ladder 17 which serves as a floor when the machine is in horizontal flight. Means according to the purpose of any iven machine, four are shown, Figs. 2 an 10), and extend rearwardly to support the machine when at rest, with the longitudinal axis of the fuselage 1, vertical. .An air passageway 27 provides jog the conveyance of thealr from theprirnar ysintake 27, and the airadded from the auxilia' intake 27, to the rear of and the inelosing shell 3, and on the inside by the streamlined contour of the propeller" centers 32, and 38, and the fuselage 1. That portion of it at the rear of the propeller, is dividedinto sectors by the stationary blades 7, the standards 2, and the webs 8. The rear portion 3', of the inclosing shell 3, is preferably constructed of flexible material so it will yield into a position of neutral pressure between the passageway 27 and the outside atmosphere, to prevent suction at its rear end during flight; and it extends to the lower ends of the standards 2, shown as 3'., -at the tioned ofi into a motorcompartment 18, by

a bulkhead-19, with means of access 19', Fig. 3. The compartment 18',;i s. so formed'as to provide a hollow stud 21, ending in a head 22,sfrom.which projects a sha ft 5, held in alignment by the guys 6. "The stud 21 and the shaft 5, are the asic means'for the location and, operation ofdriver shafts 25,j the propeller members 28, and -29 anda;tr.ain of elements transmitting-motion thereto from a source of power. T e compartment'18, has rearwardly'ipclined ports 23gaandan inlet rapid and diflused clrculationiof air to cool and ventilateit and its-contents. "It alsofhas exhaust ,pipes 24, leading intofthe intake of L the supporting center 38,, of the propeller,

for the disposal of exhaust fluid from the en 'gines located in it.

,. The ropeller iscom po sedjof two members 28- and #29, designed to rotatereversely in atallerplanesgadjaeent. The front memr 28, and theelements connecting it to a source of power, consist of a hollowshaft 30, with-a gear 31',-ri-gidlyattachcd to its rear end, and-'a'cone' 32, fixedly attached to its front-end. The cone 32, has means 32', for

glcces's' to its inside. TTdithe, rear outsideface 1 of the. cone 32, are attached multiple V propeller blades 33:

assembled, the unit is adjustably mountedii'lrisuitable' bearings .34, and-35. The rearggmember 29, and: it to a source of the elements connectin y power rconsist of the ho ow-shafttlfi, with a sa ,rigialiteaqheamas rear'emL' an front portion. To the supporting center I his passageway 27", is ghot liided onthe outside by the encasement 4,

- air and with its-rear head open nearthe shaft 36, to provide for the entrance of the exhaust pipes 24, and isprovided with fluid conductors 24:, and discharge ports 24, constituting a centrifugal blower by. which the exhaust pipes 24, are evacuated and theexhaust fluid; from the engines dischar ed into the air passageway 27;- thus muflhng the nose of the exhaust, relieving back pressure against the engines and addinga propulsive valve by the rearward discharge of the exhaust fluid through the ports ,24. The walls of the center 38,.and'the bladesf38 are protected from overheating by insulation 38". The compartment 18, formsan annular space around the hollow stud 21, giving a location and anchora ge for a power plant of any type of engines in'multiple units sta- -tioned equidistant from each other, and with the driver shaft. 25, of each unit radial to thedriven gears 31,"and 37. Driver gears 45,

fixed upon the mounted engine shafts 25, are interposed between the faces of the gears 31,-

.and 37, and engage both so the rotation of distant from each other and working in mu 7 son, the torsional moments of all gears in port;5,, producing -b suction and impact a engagement are balanced and the friction uponthe bearings 35, 43,'and 46, is minimized n and the aggregate power from a pluralityo'f engines efie'ctivelydelivere'd to. a single system of propulsion. The dia '-a.mmatic..

crank lines 26, illustrate the app cation of en'ginesof the in-line type, and 26-, the radial power transnnssion mechanis m" he'system' of propulsion herein defined consists of the pro v p the stationary helical blades 7 and thej-cylim drical encasement 4; The encasement 4', is I formed with an. inside contour of a bell peller herein: described,

shaped section 4",anda rear 'bell-shaped see-- ftion 4",Figsi 1 and 3. -It -is,:preferable to' construct the system witha multiple nums,

i y h eithe hree ser s f-b d 39, and 7;,andsetthe1n atahigh. pitch. This construction e.-race rotation -produced' by the front blades-33, is intercepted and utip ilrloducesa race rotation inthe menace lized by the rear blades 39,. rotating in the opposite direction, and the race. rotation pro- ,duced by the blades 39, is intercepted and and slow speeds of the craft the centrifugal pressure value is greatest and the axial thrust value is least. As the speed increases these values are reversed until at the maximum-"speed the centrifugal pressure value is least and the axial thrust value is greatest. This reversal of propulsive values as the speed increases tends toward uniform efiiciency of the system at all speeds of the craft. With proper adjustment of blade pitch, flare of the section 4", and speed of rotation of the propeller, a hi h and approx imately uniform eiiiciency 0% propulsion is attained at all speeds of'the craft.

The stationary helical blades 7, are built in between the outside of the fuselage 1, at its front end and the rear of the bell-shaped section 4", with their pitch counter to the Y pitch of the blades 39. It is preferable to use a number of helical blades 7, that is a multiple of the number of standards 2, in

any given case, and to so place them that some one ofthe series will register with each of the standards 2, thus allowin the rear edges of such registering blades to e merged into the front ends of the stabilizing webs 8, which, with the merging of the webs 8, along their outer edges with the standards 2,

' where they meet, lessens parasitical resistance, Figs. 1 and 6. This use of such a number of blades 7, will also allot an equal number of the intermediate blades 7, to eachof the spaces between the standardsfl. A number ofthe helical, blades 7, are constructed,-

each with a conduit leading froma con: trollable inlet valve 20 to a compressed air container 22, for the purpose of diverting a portion of the air stream produced by the propeller and converting its velocity energy into pressure ener The inlet valve 20, has a spring 20", w ich prevents any escape of compressedair from the conduit 20. The container 22'. is tapped as'at 22'.",.' ,and the compressed air conveyed through; suitable piping with controlling valves, not shown, to wherever needed for the operation of the craft and the sustenance of life. It is preferable to use the blades 7 that register with the standards 2, for the conduits 20, but i when they are not suficient in an if'given case,

a number of the intermediate b ades 7, may be modified to allow for the conduits 20, by

elongation rearward as: shown in a sectionalview of one of each of the propeller blades 33, and 39- and one of the intermediate V blades 7, ig. 5. One of the unmodified helical'blades 7 is shown in Fig. 10, on the same scale as ig. 5.

It is preferable to construct the three series of blades 33, 39, and7, with a different number of'blades in each of the three series, in which either a diminishing or an increasing progressive difference of one will give best results, and to use sucha number in each series, that when the propeller' members 28,

and 29, are rotated reversely'at a speed required for normal flight, the frequency of vibration in'theain caused by the series 39, passing the two series 33, and- 7, exceeds 41,000 per secdnd, or the upper limit of audi bility. This gplan of noise reduction is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 7 in which the series-33,..contains thirty blades, the series 39, 'containsthirty one blades, and theseries 7 contains thirtytwo blades. The movement of the series.39,- in one direction the distance between two. .biades, and the movement of the series. 33,. aniequal distance in the oppo= site direction,.produce a number of vibrations equal to the number of blades in the three series or ninety three. This number multiplied by; the-number of blades in the series 39, produces-two-thousand eight hundred eighty three, the numberof sound vi brations produced-by one revolution of the propeller'members 28-, and 29. The propeller rotating 'ata supposed ngrmal speed of twelve" hundred; refizolutions per minute,

-would produce a frequency of vibration .in

the air offifty seven; thousand six hundred sixty perv second, which is a large margin above the -upper'limit of audibility. Any combination of thenumber of blades in the three series and the revolutions of the moving members thatwill produce a frequency of vibration in the. air above the upper limit of audibility will-reduce the noise of operating the craft.-1.-' r s Arms48, 8.1111148? ',.are hinged to the outside at the fronh'endofthe encasement 4. A

spring 48', is operatively placed under each of the arms 48, as is shown on the left side when the sail 47, is extended, and on the right side when the sail 47, is collapsed, in Fig. l. An annular, collapsible landing sail 47, is securely attached along its inner edge to the outside of the forward end of the'encasement 4, and to the arms t8, and 48", extending radially across its width as seen in Fig.

2. The arms 48, are placed one on each side of each of the standards 2 and diverge from each other outward just suflicient that when the sail 4:7, is collapsedit will be drawn closely over the tapering ends of the standards 2, taking up that portion of the sail 47, between each pair of the arms 48, as shown in Fig. 2,

when extended, and asshown' at 4223 111 Fig.

shown Collapsed in Fig.3,and one of the arms, and'held there by the arms48". The arms 48,

1, when collapsed.

Two pairs of arms 48, and'the intermediate arms 48", with a fragment of. the sail-47, attached, are shown extended in Fig. 2,:to" illustrate the position of the sail-47, during the landing process. Onel-of Ethe arms 48", is

48, is shown collapsed, on the right side in Fig. 1 to illustrate the position of the sail 47, (except that portion drawn over the tapering ends of the standards 2), when 091- lapsed and carried as potentialair resisting surfaces during flight. The encasement 4, is

formed upon its circumferential outside toprovide a recessed space ,forhousing the land- .ing sail 47 (except that portion drawn over the tapering ends of the standards 2) out of the relative air stream to'avoid parasitic resistance.

A cable 49, is fixedly attached to the free' end of eachof the arms 48, and 48"., and to the rear end oft-he encasement 4, Fig. 1. These cables 49, limit the outward and upward extension of the arms 48, and 48", and thelanding sail 47, attached thereto, and'support them in a predetermined angle from the main axis of the fuselage. This angle is are located, one in the outer end of each of the shown in Fig. 1, to be 90 degrees, but it may be varied either above or'below90 degrees to gain stability and to vary the amount of air displaced during the landing process.

An eyelet, or small pulley-51, isfixedly attached to each of the supportingcables-49, about midway of their'length. Pulleys 52,

arms 48, one in the front end of-the encasement 4, one in the rear end of the encasement 4, and one in each side of eachof the standards,2, making a number of trains of pulleys p 52, to correspond to the number of arms 48,

and in operative alignment therewith;

A reel 53, with means'for manual or power j operation, (manual operation is shown in of-the sail 47, limited by the cables 49, may,

be varied to any angle below the limit Fi s. land 3), is mounted in asuitable frame ad3acent the operators seat 16. Acable 50, allotted to each'space between'the standards 2, is threaded through the eyelets 5l' and one of its ends threaded through an train of pulleys 52, on each side of the space served, and then attached to the .reel 53. The angle winding in the cables 50*, upon the reel 53, and locln'ng it to maintainthe angle of extension at the will of the operator. ,gilhe sail 47,' is collapsed, also, by the operation of the reel 53, which draws inthe:cables 50. These acting through the eyelets51, draw the cables 49,

in and under the sail 47, to a circumferent1al line registering with the of pulleys 52, located in the forward portion of the encasement 4, as shown in]? I and- 3. At the sametime the arms 48, are drawn down closely', one on oath side 'oftea'ch of the standards: 2, stretching the sail-47, tightly; over the tapering ends'of the standards 2, as shown at 47' Figs. 1 and 11.. Tlte,remaining portions of the sail 47 are collapsed in the spaces be-, tween the standards 2, .provided-in the outer circumferential surface of the encasement 4,

and 48', the sail 47, and the cables 49, are held collapsed by anyfusual means to secure the reel 53, against unwind-ing'and-that-can be released at will. Thedrawings show in Figs. 1' and 3, the-reel 53, operated by a bell crank 56, and held by the ratchet 54,-and the 'pawl 55. Other means'may be used without departingfrom the principles-of the invention.

Po operate a verticallyrising and landing craft, which normally stands-in an upright attitude, a statical air pressure is developed within the inclosure 3, under the fuselage 1. When this pressure is sufiicient with the areodynamic lift of the propulsive system the craft ascends. Then before the initial momentum is spent, the craft is turned to an 7 angle sustainable by the aerodynamic lift of the aerofoilsand the propulsive system and flight continued and maneuvered by the usual and well' known means. A landin is made by turning the longitudinal axis 0 the craft toa vertical attitude, halting the craft to a standstill, releasing the landing sail 47, and

allowing'ithe craft to fall. The velocitly descent is governed by regulating the ang e of the-sail 47, in cooperation with the speed of vthe propeller. 'The craft is-mjaneuvered to direct-its course of descent and is finally eased gowlito'a state of, rest upon a supporting surace. Y

1 Having 1, aeroplane having a load;carrying body designed to haveits longitudinal axis vertical when at rest and horizontal when in translatory flight, in combination, a streamlined load carrying body, -supporting standards rigidly attached by mtervening webs to my invention,"I' claim:

the body, and an inclosing shell around the body attached to the standards "and .with a primary and an auxiliary intake at its top endand'extending to the-lower or rear ends of 'the;standards.

2. Anaeroplane having, in 'combination, a

general framework which consists of a fuse-j lage, a series of standards disposed around the standards, a shaft forwardly projecting V from thefuselage', guys supporting the shaft, and an inclosure around the fuselage; which framework is adapted for the location and operation of a-screw propeller c omposed of two members, and for the installatlon of a power plant composed of a plurality of units of power withmeans for transmitting motion 5 from the power plant to the propeller so as to rotate its members reversely in planes adjacent and in coaction with the encasement and the helicalblades for the .purpose of propel ling and operating the aeroplane in any direction; which framework provides for the attachment of aerofoils, rudders, elevators; landing equipment, and a landing sail, and

means for controlling these attachments for the sustentation and control of the aeroplane in its flight and landing.

3. In an aeroplane having a general framework, in combination, an an passageway annular in cross sectionfand having a primary intake and an auxiliary intake; which passageway is bounded on its outside diameter by a cylindrical encasement and-an inclosing shell, and on its inside diameter by auxiliary intake of undisturbed air atits front end, and which controls and guides the resultant air stream formedfrom a primary intake of the aeroplane and the auxiliary in- V take in its passage rearward during ascenfuselage, a propeller,

sion, flight and landing of the craft; and

which shell in cooperation with a system of fuseiage while the aeroplane is at rest, to lift it and give it an initial momentum for ascension.

5. An aeroplane having, in combination, a

helical blades at the v V Webs extendingfrom a selected number of the blades to the rear of the craft, and control rudders operatively connected tothe webs. "s;

6. An aeroplane having a motor ment composed of boundarywalls so disposed p r i h r a alignment with the P p e tf hll t'd. 't' as 0 01am a 0 0W 8 u prolec mg Into the centers,.and a bell-shaped encasement flaredcompartment, and to inclose an annularspace around the stnd. Y

7. An aeroplane having, a hollow stud, a shell stud with .rib's slidingly fitted to the hollow stud, a rim connecting the ribs, adjusting bolts engaging the rim, a bearing on the shellstud, and means for lubrication.

8. In an aeroplane having a motive compartment with a hollow stud therein and a shaft projecting therefrom, in combination,

prgpulsion, confines-the resultant air. stream scifewrpl'ope to evelop a pressure under and around. the

cent,',-a-'ser1es of j combination," I

rearwardly inclined ventilating ports in the walls of the compartment and an inlet port formed in the shaft. 1 9. An aeroplane having, in combination, a hollow stud, a closure at the end of the stud, a shaft promoting fromythe closure through the stud, mount-ed driven propeller shafts, gears on the driven shafts, engine driver shafts radial to the stud, and gears on the driver shafts and in mesh with the gears on the driven shafts.

.. 10. In an aeroplane having a power plant and a propeller member with a supporting drum center, in combination, a centrifugal blower which consists of the drum center with the central area of one head open as an,

intake, radial blades between the drum heads,

insulated radial conductors open to the intake and ending in a plurality of discharge ports in or near the periphery of the-drum; and exhaust pipes leading from the power plant into the intake of the blower.

11. An aeroplane having,in combination, afuselage, a motor compartment in the fuselage, a hollow stud in the compartment, an annular spacearound the stud, a propeller, a power plant in the annular space and connected to the propeller, an o erating com partment ingthe fuselage, a bul ead between the'two compartments, means of access in the bulkhead, an operators seatjin the operating compartment, means of access to the seat, an

operable winchifor regulating the lateral angle" of alanding sail and for collapsing,

and'lr'eleasing it, a bulkhead in the rear 0 tlie fuselage,.a door in the fuselage,

a registering door in an encircling shell, and

,meanj's in the walls of the fuselage and the encirclin'g'rshell for lighting and visibility. 112. aero, lanehaving, in combination, lie: composed of two members designed to rotate reversely in planes adjastationary helical blades locatedat'therearof' the propeller, and a bell-shapedencasement surrounding the periphery"'of "the-- propeller and the helical a es.

'- bl d 3 f 1 fig gsfi l I 131. aeroplane havln 1n comblnatlon, I

' a'screw propellercompose of two members 'jghounted to'rot'ate reversely in planes adjafifeent'with the blades in each member affixed to supporting centers, a series of stationary 'helical'blades afixed to a suporting center rearward with recessed steps for each. propeller nieinber and surrounding the periphfe'ry ofjthe propeller and rigidly attached to the outer ends of the helical blades.

[14. aeroplane having, in combination, a fuselage, a propeller, a series of stationary eat fhelical blades at the rear of the propeller,

a power plant, inlet valves in a selected num- 1 valves; storage for compressed air and connected'to the conduits, pipes connecting the storage to the power plant, pipes leading to other parts of the craft, and valves controlling the flow of air in the pipes.

15.- In an aeroplane having stationar helical blades and in cooperation therewit ascrew propeller, in combination, in each of'a selected number of the helical blades, a

controllable air inlet, a conduit connected to the inlet, a compression container connected to the conduit, controllable outlet from the container, and controllable conveyance' from the outlet.

16.- In an aeroplane having a screw propeller composed of two member-sdesigned to rotate reversely in parallel planes adjacent,

in combination, a rotatably mounted train of elements connected to each member, a gear aflixed toeach train of elements with an annular space between the gears, and a plurality of driver gears afiixed to rotatably mounted engine shafts, andlocated approx- .ima'tely equidistant from each other in the annular space and each in engagement with the gear connected to the front member of the propeller and upon its diametrically opposite side in engagement with the gear con 3 nected-with the rear member of the propeller.

17. In an aeroplane havinga propeller of two multibladed members designed to rotate reversely in planesuadjacent and a series of stationary helical bladesin a parallel plane adjacent at the rear of the rotating members, in combination, such a number of blades in each ofthe three series, two rotary and one stationary, that the frequency of 4ovibration producedin the air by the passing edges of the blades, in normal flight, exceeds the up er limit of .audibility.

18. n aeroplane having, in combination, m a system of propulsion, three series of helical blades, two rotary in reverse directIODS and one stationary, in which the blade pitch is greater each successive series.

' 19. An aeroplane having, in combination, a propeller composed of two members deslgned to rotate reversely, an encasement flared rearwardly around the eriphery of the propeller, a collapsible lanrfiug sail with .a continuous annular surfacewhen extended and. with it mounted upon rigid arms hinged to theencasement, and an air intake through the sail .into the encasement to the propeller.

20'. aeroplane having, in combination,

a propeller, an encasement surrounding theperiphery of the propeller, housing space in the outside of the encasement, a series of arms hlnged to the encasement, springs compres- -sible by a selected number of the arms, a

collapsible annular landing. sail attached to the encasement and to the arms, an air intake through the sail into the encasement to the propeller, supporting cables attached to the free ends of the arms and to the'encase-' ment, eyelets fixedly attached to the supporting cables, cable passageways leading to an operating uompartment, collapsing cables threaded through theeyelets and. the passageways, and an operable winch connected to the collapsing cables.

21.' An aeroplane designed to land ver-v tically having, in combination, a propeller,

an encasement surrounding the periphery of the propeller, a series of arms hinged to the encasement, a collapsible annular land- I ing sail attached to the encasement and to the arms, a housing recess in the encasement, means to collapse and to extend the arms and the sail, an air intake through the sail into the encasement to the propeller, and

means for varying the lateral angle of the sail while landing the craft. 22. An aeroplane designedto land verti- 'cally in an upright attitude having, in combination, a propeller, an encasement surrounding the periphery of the propeller, a

circumferential recess in the outside of the encasement, a series of standards supporting the craft in an upright attitude when at rest and attached to the encasement, aseriesof arms hinged to the outside of the encasement,

a collapsible annular landing sail attached along its inner edge to the encasement and across its width to the arms, an air intake through the landing sail and the encasement to the pro eller, a series of springs compressible in co apsing the arms, means for hold- 23. An aeroplane having, in combination, I

a propellercomposed of twom'emhers de-. signed to rotate reversely in parallel lanes v adjacent,a series of stationary*lrelical lades cooperating with the propeller, an encasement' surrounding the propeller and the stationary blades, a fuselage; a power plant to actuate the propeller, and an equipment for ascent and landing with the fuselage approximately horizontal.

24. An aeroplane having, in combination,

a general framework which consists of a.

fuselage, a series of standards disposed around the fuselage so as to support it in a vertical position when at rest, a cylindrical encasement rigidly attached to the forward portion of the standards, a series of stationa-ry helical blades rigidly attached to the fuselage and to the encasement, a series of stabilizing webs extending longitudinally from the rear end'of the encasement to the rear end of the aeroplane and radially from the fuselage to the standards, a shaft projecting forwardly from the fuselage, a series of guys binding the shaft to the encasement, and an inclosing shell flexible in its rear portion afiixed to the standards and extending over the greater portion of their length to the rear end thereof; a propeller composed of two members designed to rotate, reversely in planes adjacent, and coacting with the encasement and the helical blades; an air passageway in the general framework with .a primary intake and an auxiliary intake, annular in cross section and extending from the front end to the rear end of themachine; a motor compartment having an inwardly projectin hollow stud and inclosin space and prov1ding means-for the installation of a plurality of engines stationed equidistant apart with their driver shafts radial to the stud and operatively connected to the shafting actuating the propeller; a system for como pressing, retaining and dispensing compressed air which consists in diverting a portion of the air stream produced by the propzller, conducting it through a selected numr ofthe helical blades by'a conduit with a controllable inlet to a compression container, converting its kinetic velocity energy into energy of pressure, releasin the compressed air through controllable out ets, and conveying it to where and as needed; a system for evacuating and muflling exhaust which consists in leadin the exhaust fluid from the engines throng pipes into the intake of a centrifugal blower constructed in the supporting center of the rear member of the pro peller and-dischar g it into the air passageway; a collapsigl landingsail withmeans for housing and operating the same; and, in combination, aerofoils, ailerons, rudders,

elevators, and-other means of control and navigation, with means for operatin the same, for the control, sustentation and%andingnof the aeroplane. I j testimony whereof, I have si ed this specification, this 8th dayof Decem r, 1930. DAVID E. VAN VAGTOR. 

